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Auli’i Cravalho not reprising role as Moana for upcoming live-action remake

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Auli’i Cravalho will not be playing Moana in the forthcoming live-action remake of the 2016 animated Disney film.

The 22-year-old actress shared the news in a video on her Instagram account May 19. “When I was cast as Moana at 14, it wonderfully changed my life and started my career,” she began. “In this live-action retelling, I will not be reprising the role.”

Cravalho continued, “I believe that it is absolutely vital that casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell. So, as an executive producer on the film, I cannot wait to help find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit and emotional strength.”

“I am truly honored to pass this baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, to honor our incredible Pacific peoples, cultures and communities that help inspire her story, and I look forward to all the beautiful Pacific representation to come,” she concluded.

Walt Disney Studios announced that a live-action “Moana” remake was in the works back in early April with the help of Dwayne Johnson, who played everyone’s favorite demigod Maui in the film.

Cravalho shared her reaction on Instagram at the time, saying, “Moana has had such a profound impact on how we think of Disney princesses. Moana’s strength and perseverance are inspiring—to audiences around the world, to me and to everyone who helped bring her to life. I’m looking forward to sharing her story in a whole new way.”

Moana was nominated for two Oscars at the 2017 Academy Awards, one for best animated feature and another for best original song for “How Far I’ll Go” by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Cravalho and Miranda performed the song during the ceremony.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Music notes: Lizzo, Nick Jonas and more

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Lizzo is moving on from her Chris Evans crush – and she wants fans to move on, too. On Instagram Friday, she posted a video from her Chicago concert in which she explains to the crowd that she had asked fans to stop bringing photos of the Captain America actor to her shows and instead to bring photos of her real boyfriend, Myke Wright. And lo and behold, there were two fans in the front row who listened to her request and brought giant printouts of Myke’s face.

Have you seen the viral video of TikTok user Gabe Gibbs singing a song called “Joe’s Last Words” from an imaginary Jonas Brothers musical? Well, Nick Jonas did and he even duetted it.

Adam Lambert hosted a panel Thursday night on behalf of his Feel Something Foundation. The “Care/Feel” discussion, held at Hotel Ziggy on the Sunset Strip, was about queer mental health in the music industry.

The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s hit song “Stay” won ASCAP Pop Music Song of the Year at the 40th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards, which recognize the songwriters and publishers of the most performed songs of the past year.

Music notes: Nick Jonas, Adam Lambert and more

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Hear superstar DJ Steve Aoki reimagine The Beach Boys’ “Fun Fun Fun” as a club banger

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Many artists have covered The Beach Boys over the years, but one artist has completely taken the group’s music apart and put it back together again.

Superstar DJ and producer Steve Aoki has remixed the band’s 1964 top five hit “Fun Fun Fun” and turned it into something you’d be more likely to hear in a club at 1 a.m. versus cruising in a car listening to AM radio.

“I’ve been a huge fan of The Beach Boys all of my life. Growing up in California, I heard their music all around me,” says Aoki in a statement.

“The Beach Boys are musical geniuses and visionaries in the world of rock n’ roll. I continue to be inspired by their music to this day. It’s an honor to come together for the ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ remix, and I can’t wait to share it with all of our fans all summer long.”

Aoki shared the remix with fans at one of his recent shows and, according to a press release, “the crowd went wild.”

A statement from The Beach Boys reads, “It’s both gratifying and a whole lot of fun, fun, fun to have Steve Aoki – fun personified – reimagine one of our most enduring crowd-pleasers! As we cruise into summer, Steve (Aoki)’s ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ remix drives like an ace.”

If you prefer the original version, it was recently featured in the trailer for the upcoming movie Barbie.

In honor of their 60th anniversary, The Beach Boys are currently working on a documentary, as well as some other projects.

Hear John Oates rework Hall & Oates’ classic “Maneater” as a reggae tune

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Back in the early ’80s, John Oates took a trip to Jamaica and started to think that “Maneater,” his smash hit with Daryl Hall, would work pretty well as a reggae tune. Forty years later, he’s made it happen.

Last year, Oates appeared on a podcast hosted by Questlove, the Grammy-winning drummer for The Roots and Jimmy Fallon‘s Tonight Show band, and talked about how he always thought “Maneater” could work as a reggae song. After numerous listeners responded with messages urging him to do it, Oates contacted a producer pal, who organized a recording session in Kingston, Jamaica, with some of reggae’s top musicians.

“I tried to approach the reggae version of ‘Maneater’ as if I was a new artist, as if I was not associated with Hall & Oates in any way,” Oates explains. “I wanted to see if I could reimagine it in a way that would make it fresh again and really work with the vibe of the players who … were in the studio in Jamaica.”

The song and its video are out now.

“Maneater (Reggae Version)” is the fifth standalone single that Oates has recently released, including his covers of Louis Armstrong‘s “What a Wonderful World” and Timmy Thomas‘ “Why Can’t We Live Together.”

Oates has tour dates booked from now through September; visit JohnOates.com for a list of dates.

As for Oates’ musical partner Daryl Hall, Friday sees the vinyl release of BeforeAfter, a three-LP compilation of his solo work through 2011. Hall is touring with Todd Rundgren this summer and is also performing on the same bill as Billy Joel at the BST Hyde Park festival in London.

Jim Brown, NFL great and ‘Dirty Dozen’ actor, dead at 87

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Jim Brown, one of the most famous pro football players to successfully tackle Hollywood, has died, according to an Instagram post from his wife, Monique.

Brown was 87.

“He passed away peacefully at our LA home,” she noted, adding, “To the world he was an actor, an activist, and a football star. To our family he was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken.”

After a successful career as a college athlete who played football, lacrosse and ran track, Brown was drafted for the NFL as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns in 1957. He played for the team until 1965, setting touchdown and rushing records, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

However, even before he stopped playing, he started acting, making his feature film debut in the 1964 Western Rio Conchos. He soon began amassing dozens of big-screen credits, including 1967’s ensemble World War II movie The Dirty Dozen.

Brown appeared in many famous “blaxploitation” action movies in the ’70s, including Slaughter and Three The Hard Way, and worked through the ’80s with guest roles on TV and in the movies.

He played a flamethrower-wielding pro “Stalker” nicknamed Fireball in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi film The Running Man and played on his past credits in Keenan Ivory Wayans‘ blaxsploitation spoof I’m Gonna Git You, Sucka, the following year. In his long acting career, Brown also appeared in movies like Tim Burton‘s Mars Attacks, He Got Game for Spike Lee and in the acclaimed football film Any Given Sunday for Oliver Stone.

The former football great was also active in the Civil Rights Movement, and over the subsequent years launched various organizations to boost Black entrepreneurship and advancement.

Music notes: Lil’ Kim, Travis Scott, Chris Brown and more

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

While Ludacris received his Walk of Fame star, Lil’ Kim took his place on Janet Jackson‘s Together Again tour. During her performance, she paid homage to the late Michael Jackson, dancing to his song “Smooth Criminal.”

Travis Scott was spotted outside a Hollywood studio Thursday, and alongside him was his bodyguard, holding a briefcase with the word “utopia” on it. TMZ reports his first album in four years was actually in the bag.

Chris Brown wants fans to know he’s been “locked in the studio” preparing a not-yet-titled album. He’s ditching the 20-40 album track list and will include “just the right amount of magic to digest.” He also has a song coming out this summer.

Kodak Black shared the track list for his new album, Pistols & Pearls, out May 26. “THANX to EVERYONE THATS BEEN ON THIS JOURNEY WITH ME LUVIN & THUGGIN! I COULDNT FIND PEACE WITHOUT ALL THE VIOLENCE @atlanticrecords,” he wrote alongside the announcement. “It’s Been Well !!! Nothing But Gratitude & The Utmost Respect.”

Flavor Flav stood in solidarity with those on the picket line for the writers strike. “[I’m] glad to be here, glad to support. I got ya’ll back,” he said in a clip captured by TMZ. He reportedly brought the protesters pizza, burgers and water.

Ladies, in need of new boots? Miranda’s got you covered

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Idyllwind has dropped new products in its Idyllwind Fueled by Miranda Lambert line, and it includes the Fiore Booties.

Priced at $179.50, the ’70s-styled white pointed-toe, pull-on boots feature black floral inlay designs, silver studded accents and silver-toned toe rand.

Grab your pair and shop other items in the Idyllwind Fueled by Miranda Lambert collection on idyllwind.com.

New Music Friday: Belly, Summer Walker, Kaytranada & Aminé, Dave East and more

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Another week, another set of new releases. Here’s the latest edition of New Music Friday.

Belly, Mumble Rap 2 — Hit-Boy executive produced this sequel to 2017’s Mumble Rap. It’s Belly’s first project since See You Next Wednesday, and it boast appearances from Nav, Gucci Mane and Rick Ross, who’s featured in the new video for “Cocaine Spoon.”

Kaytranada & Aminé, Kaytraminé — The producer and rapper have a few songs together, but this marks their first full-length collaboration. The 11-track project includes verses from Snoop Dogg, Big Sean, Pharrell and Freddie Gibbs.

Fast X (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) — Accompanying the Fast X premiere is this star-studded album featuring previous single “Angel Pt. 1” by Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, Muni Long and JVKE, and an appearance from The Notorious B.I.G. and others on the trailer anthem “Let’s Ride.”

Dave East featuring Katt Rockell, “Feel Like” — The rapper walks around his native Harlem in the William Caballero-directed video, making stops at a barbershop and a mural of his late friend Nipsey Hussle. “Feel Like” is a cut from Dave’s Gangsta Grillz project, Book Of David.

Wiz Khalifa, “What Would I Do” — The song finds Wiz questioning what he’d do without his love interest, and the video, directed by Braden Walker, captures his celebrity lifestyle, particularly his experience on tour, and his smoke sessions with Smoke DZA and Berner.

Nxworries, “Daydreaming” — The group — Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge — teamed for their first song of 2023. For the video, Knxwledge used editing tools within Rockstar Games to place Anderson in the Grand Theft Auto V universe.

Summer Walker, “Pull Up” — Off her new project Clear 2: Soft Life, the video features BMF stars Myles Truitt as her man and Lil Meech as her side man.

His shiny machine: Eddie Van Halen’s Porsche is up for auction

May 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

If you’ve got lots of money and are tired of the usual rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia, listen up.

In addition to guitars, the late Eddie Van Halen also loved cars, and one of his favorites is going under the hammer Saturday, May 20, in Indianapolis.

Mecum Auctions is selling Eddie’s 2016 silver Porsche 2016 911 GT3 RS, which he custom ordered and then raved about to Car and Driver magazine. In addition to being a Porsche, the car is special because it comes with a signed certificate of authenticity, as well as custom carbon fiber door sill plates with an illuminated Van Halen logo.

As an extra bonus, the phone-dialing software in the dashboard hasn’t been erased and displays “Edward Van Halen’s iPhone” as one of the device choices.

According to Inside Hook, Eddie sold the car in July 2020, just three months before his death. When he sold it, the odometer read just over 15,000 miles; the current owner has put another thousand on it.

The car is estimated to bring between $200,000 and $225,000.

The Porsche was just one of several luxury and sports cars Eddie owned: a Lamborghini Miura can be heard revving on Van Halen’s 1984 hit “Panama.”

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